A 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who fled war in her homeland was brutally murdered while riding the Charlotte light rail train by a career criminal who was free on cashless bail despite nearly two decades of regular criminal convictions.
It is a story the mainstream media has ignored almost entirely, causing outrage among conservative influencers and politicians.
Iryna Zarutska was killed August 22 in an unprovoked attack by Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, who had been arrested at least 14 times since 2007 for crimes including assault, firearms possession, felony robbery, and larceny. Surveillance video reportedly shows Brown stabbing Zarutska multiple times, including in the neck, as she sat in front of him scrolling on her phone after work.
The attack has drawn widespread attention on social media, with conservatives and Trump administration officials highlighting the case as an example of failed criminal justice policies. President Donald Trump mentioned the stabbing during remarks at the Museum of the Bible.
“We’re all people of religion, but there are evil people,” Trump said. “And we have to confront that. I just give my love and hope to the family of the young woman who was stabbed this morning or last night in Charlotte by a madman.”
Elon Musk repeatedly posted about the Charlotte case over the weekend for his 225 million followers on X. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, Trump confidant Charlie Kirk, Senator Mike Lee and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also commented on the case.
Meanwhile, the media has almost completely ignored the brutal murder.
Take a look —
74,221 AP articles about George Floyd
0 AP articles about Iryna Zarutska pic.twitter.com/ZSb1X90OYC— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 7, 2025
A Trump adviser told Axios the case represents exactly what the president has been discussing about crime in Democrat-controlled cities.
“This is exactly what he’s talking about, and it’s going to be an issue he’s going to highlight. This is not just about North Carolina. Other campaigns will deal with this,” the adviser said.
“Crime is not a data thing — it’s a feeling thing,” the Trump adviser explained. “Politicians don’t understand that it’s about how you feel when you walk on the subway platform. It’s not about whether you’re a victim. It’s about whether you feel you’re a victim or not.”
Brown’s mother told local television station WSOC that her son was schizophrenic and should never have been allowed to roam the streets. In January, Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes released Brown with only a “written promise” to appear in court after he was arrested for making a false 911 report.
During that incident, Brown told police conducting a welfare check that he had been given a “man-made material” that controlled him. When officers said there was nothing they could do, he became irate and called the emergency response line, leading to his arrest.
Brown served five years in prison beginning in 2014 for robbery with a dangerous firearm and was arrested again for assaulting his sister at home after his release in 2020. He was put on parole until just 2021.
Zarutska fled Ukraine with her family in 2022 to escape Russia’s war before settling in Charlotte. She was working at Zepeddie’s Pizza at the time of her death and had graduated from Synergy College in Kyiv with a degree in Art and Restoration.
“Recently, our Zepeddie’s family suffered a tremendous loss. We lost not only an incredible employee but a true friend. Our dear Iryna left this world far too soon, and our hearts are heavy with grief,” the pizzeria said in a statement. “Since her passing, we have kept a candle burning in her memory—a small reminder of the warmth, kindness and light she brought into our lives every single day.”
A neighbor of Zarutska’s family described her as beloved in the community.
“She was sweet, the whole neighborhood loved her. She did a lot of pet sitting for neighbors, she was a good, sweet person,” the neighbor told The New York Post. The neighbor said Zarutska’s father couldn’t attend her funeral because he’s eligible to be drafted into the war against Russia.
Conservative social media accounts accused major national news outlets of not covering the Charlotte killing with the same intensity as the Daniel Penny case. Penny, who is white, choked a homeless Black man while subduing him after he threatened passengers on a subway car in Manhattan in 2023. A jury acquitted Penny of any crimes.
Brown is being held without bond in the Mecklenburg County Jail on first-degree murder charges. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 19.